Under pressure. That’s what all the college students are saying now-a-days. For millennials, getting a bachelor’s degree is not really an option anymore, rather a requirement to enter the work force. We’ve all grown up watching movies like Legally Blonde and shows like Gilmore Girls, which portray college life as this glamorous and life-changing experience.
The bar was set high and our expectations may be a tad unrealistic. We can definitely have a social life while maintaining straight A’s at an Ivy League school. We can intern at a law office and not miss a class. We will meet our future bridesmaids and groomsmen here. It will be the best four years of our life.
However, the actual experience is not so rose colored. When we have a social life, sometimes our grades slip. If we’re interning, we aren’t spending much time studying. During my time at Seton Hall, I don’t think I’ve met one person who wasn’t stressed and exhausted because of their work load. I also don’t think I’ve met someone who hasn’t had at least once internship (or student teaching or clinicals, depending on the major). So the real question is: How do I do it all in college?
If you’re anything like me, you think about your experiences in terms of memories. I want to make memories. I want stories to tell my kids. If someone asks me in a few years, “If you could do college all over again, what would you change? What would you do differently?” I want my answer to be that I wouldn’t change a thing because I did everything I wanted to.
When attending college there are so many ways to get involved. You could join a sorority or fraternity. You could work an on-campus job (plus save money for those student loans we know are coming). You could get involved with clubs, such as your school newspaper or radio station. You could have a couple high profile internships. You could take 18 credits each semester and study. You could join the honor society for your major. You could have a social life, spend most of your days in meetings, or study abroad. And if you’re me. You’ve done all of those things (except study abroad).
My choice to try and “do it all” in college was a hard one to make, because honestly, if you stretch yourself thin, you can’t put 100 percent of your effort into everything you do. Some things will take priority and others won’t. In order to truly “do it all,” you have to accept that you will be busier than you thought possible, but also that you need to be organized and have excellent time management skills.
For me, having a planner, to-do list, and schedule help maintain my hectic life. I usually wake up around 7 a.m., give or take, and don’t come home until around 8-9 p.m. On average, I have a 15-17 hour day, filled with two internships, work, class, and meetings every day of the week. Organization and time management skills are the only way to maintain this lifestyle.
Prioritize your list in terms of due date. What needs to get done first? When is the due date? If you are deadline driven, then you should be able to truly do it all in college. From experience, you will be exhausted like you never thought possible. You will be on the verge of tears most days because of your exhaustion levels and daunting to-do lists. But at the end of the day, you’ll look in the mirror and be truly proud of yourself for creating the memories you wanted and becoming the person you wanted to be.
So my question for you. Before you graduate, ask yourself: If you could do college all over again, what would you change? Now go change it before it’s too late.